Concentrating mainly but not exclusively on the Loire's vineyards, its vignerons and their wines along with places to eat and stay. Also covers some recently published wine books – not just from Loire. Regional Chair for Loire @Decanter's World Wine Awards since its inception.
Winner of the 2009 Wine Blog Trophy (journalist category) Salon des Vins de Loire. I have a large and expanding library of photos, particularly from the Loire – places, producers, vineyards etc. European.

2012:Born Digital Wine Awards: No Pay No Jay – best investigative wine story

2012: International Wine Challenge – Personality of the Year Award

Sunday, 28 September 2014

Restaurant Agnès Sorel@Genillé closes its doors

Restaurant Agnès Sorel@Genillé

One of our favourite local restaurants, the Agnès Sorel in Genillé, closed its doors about a fortnight ago. The food was extremely good and very good value for the quality, while the wine list, although short, was carefully chosen with a good selection of Loire wines. We will certainly miss it and Nicolas and Estelle Petit, who ran it.

I guess the closure of the Agnès Sorel underlines the difficulty of running a quality restaurant in a backwater like Genillé. Whether anyone will ever take over remains to be seen or is this the end of a restaurant that has been in Genillé as long as we have been in Epeigné – now more than 27 years?

11 comments:

There has been a rash of restaurants changing hands lately, and a few just closing down like this. Gerbe d'Or in Loches has new owners, as does the Hotel de la Gare in Montrichard. I had a feeling something was up with the Agnes Sorel, just from reading between the lines of something Estelle said a while ago. On the bright side, there are some bright (often very) young chefs taking on small places in villages to live their dream. I worry about them, but some will succeed I think. In Preuilly we are very lucky to have gained an ex-Michelin starred chef with the re-opening of La Claise. So far they are going great guns, but it means the Chedezeau family at l'Image are being hard pressed by the competition. I can only suggest we all eat out more and support our local restos! :-)

That's a great shame.We have never eaten there but have often intended to.There are just so many restaurants, not all good, but simply working our way round them all takes time. I'm really sorry we missed the chance to try this one, as so many people recommended it. Let's hope that, as Susan suggests, someone reopens it.

Jim: Hotel de la Gare changed hands in December last year. The new owners clearly struggled a bit in the beginning. The chef only lasted 6 months. They've got their act together now and have a new chef. I would say it is still not as good an experience as the previous team provided, but that is due to personalities more than the food. The current waitresses just don't have Sebastien's touch with the customers. The food now is back up to standard with a few exceptions -- I had frozen broccoli as the veg the other day for instance. But the clientele is returning and it's generally good, generous home style mains, very good cheese platter and the excellent buffet. Desserts are fairly pedestrian, but typical of what you get in these workmens restos.

Never been there but sad news indeed. How many macdo's and supermarket fast-food snack-bars within a 10 miles perimeter? Or is it just that, after Mr. Hollande's mishaps with Miss Gayet, the French dislike "royal" mistresses?

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